Wrap Up: 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring

Boldly refined with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

In the world of affordable perform­ance cars, it's hard to argue against the appeal of latest Z—turbo-based permutations of econo-compacts and their Nürburgring lap records notwithstanding. Even beyond those belonging to the camp that believes it's rear-wheel drive or wrong-wheel drive, most people just need a car to look and feel worthy of their cash investment, and there are few cars that do this better than the 370Z. So what's it like owning one of the most attractive buys under $40,000?

Well, it's been pretty good, but it's also not perfect.

The first downside is probably the most obvious; is a true 2-seat sports car. This means that if it doesn't fit under the rear hatch, it's going in your passenger seat, or passenger's lap or it's not going at all. As we've mentioned before, the 370Z's cargo space has been greatly improved over the 350Z's thanks to the rear brace relocation, but many editors still found the cargo space a little tight for any real road trip luggage. Editor-in-Chief Matt DeLorenzo had this to offer on the issue: "I believe the Z is a complete package, though there are compromises like luggage capacity that you just can't get around. But these are more the nature of the beast and if it's that big a problem, you probably shouldn't be in the market for a 2-seater in the first place."

We extol the Z for its great advancements in the handling department too. The new front double-wishbone suspension has given the car new life in terms of turn-in crispness and feel, with a back end that will rotate when you intend it to. In fact, there weren't any complaints when it came to corners in the Z, but out on less entertaining surface streets or highways, the relatively loud powertrain, tire noise and prodigious C-pillar blind spots started to get to people. Associate Art Director Bert Swift summarized the staff's sentiments with: "There's plenty of torque and good horsepower, but I find myself often reluctant to summon the cacophony of sound and vibration into the cabin that comes with spirited acceleration. From the outside, the 370Z has a distinctive and sonorous engine note that I wish sounded that good on the inside—it's sort of like the engine note was perfected for attracting 370Z buyers, but not for rewarding those who bought the car."

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The source of the Z's strength is also unfortunately its weakness. The VQ37VHR engine feels like it's reached the limits of its evolution, largely due to its character in the upper half of its rpm range but also because of its propensity for heat generation. Nissan strongly recommends its special Ester-based engine oil blend for reasons of compatibility on a chemical level with the slippery Diamond-Like Coating (DLC) that covers and protects various high-friction internal parts. But even with this "magic sauce" in the sump, we'd recommend installing an ancillary engine oil cooler like the Nismo one we had (Part No. 21300-SS370; $780) if you plan on doing anything more relevant to sports car activities than cruising the boulevards downtown. For experimental purposes, we measured interior noise both before and after a switch to conventional oil. We found there was a noticeable gain of about six decibels at middle revs in 1st gear but no real discernible difference in maximum cabin loudness. Sans sound meter, some complained about the increase of whirring sounds at low rpm over time, which are reminiscent of radio speaker feedback from an improperly grounded audio system.

Our 6-speed transmission with its SynchroRev Match feature proved faultless in its operation and was quite entertaining for a while (especially in wowing first-time passengers). But like most creative solutions to problems that never really were, once it was turned off, it was easily forgotten. Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis likened it to "a one-trick pony," albeit one highly respected for its feat.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of this Z? The execution of its interior. Its attractive design, intuitive layout and rich materials left everyone on staff commenting on how it was leagues ahead of the previous-generation 350Z, yet retained all the key elements that make it a Z car.

So this is where you decide what's important to you. Sure, the econo-rockets may have as much (if not a little more) performance packed within their four door bodies with large trunks (Evo excluded). But none can honestly call themselves a sports car. And what real enthusiast doesn't aspire to own at least one true sports car someday?

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